Following the launch of its Stations music service app, digital music company Rdio is now launching ad-free, on-demand mobile content via a new online radio initiative.
Those who live in the US, Canada and Australia can now access free music through the app on both iOS and Android, according to reports. Offering up randomly selected tracks, the service attempts to match your taste in music based on genre, album and artists.
The free music is available due in large part to Rdio's partnership with media giant Cumulus, which owns more than 570 radio stations across the US. The deal will see Cumulus begin selling advertising through the service, but they will only appear in Rdio through the browser. Mobile users appear to be safe from the ads for now.
As many have suggested, this is an obvious move towards staying competitive with the major players in the space, like Pandora, Spotify and iTunes Radio. The company also offers a subscription which unlocks more than 20 million tracks for $10 per month, so the intiative is also a way for Rdio to convert users to paid customers. As for existing "Unlimited" users, Rdio said today's news shouldn't have any effect on their experience.